Four Boy Hunters Part 32

"There---under the tree roots."

Snap was right; a big snake was close at hand, under some tree roots over which they had just stepped.

"I don't want anything to do with a snake," gasped Giant. "Let us get out of here!"

Then all of the young hunters gazed at each other in dismay. The snake was directly in their path to the sh.o.r.e proper.

It was a water reptile and all of five or six feet long. As they approached, it raised its head and gave a curious hissing sound.

All of the boys crowded back. Only Whopper had his gun, the other weapons having been left at the foot of the other nut trees. The snake certainly looked ugly. Evidently it did not like having its domain invaded.

"I'll give it a shot!" cried Whopper, and raised the shotgun carefully.

But just as he was on the point of firing, the reptile disappeared.

"Where is he?"

"He went under the tree roots."

"Maybe he took to the water."

The four young hunters gazed anxiously. Then of a sudden they saw the snake again. It came up through the tree roots almost at their feet, hissing more viciously than ever.

CHAPTER XXIII

AFTER MOUNTAIN BROOK MINK

"Shoot him, Whopper!"

Such was the exclamation from all of the others, and in haste the lad named took hasty aim and pulled the trigger.

The shot was a poor one, the charge merely tearing across the side of the water snake. With another hiss it whipped around and in a twinkling had itself curled around Whopper's left leg.

"Hi! take him off! Take him off!" screamed the young hunter, in terror. "Don't let him bite me!"

Snap sprang forward. His one idea was to save his chum, and he did not think of his own peril.

"Beware!" cautioned Giant.

Watching his chance, Snap put his foot on the tail of the water snake. The reptile whipped around wildly and wound itself about the lower limbs of both boys.

"I'll get a gun!" yelled Shep, and made a dash for the nearest of the firearms.

"Don't shoot us!" called out Whopper.

Catching up a weapon, Shep came up close and let drive almost in the face of the water snake. It was a telling shot, and the reptile whipped wildly this way and that. Then it fell into the water and was quickly lost to sight.

"Is---is he gone?" gasped Whopper.

"Yes," answered Giant. "Shep finished him."

"That was no joke," said Snap, when he could speak. He was trembling from head to foot.

"A joke? Well, I reckon not!" spluttered Whopper. "Ugh! It makes me s.h.i.+ver to think about it."

"Let us get out of here," came from Snap. "Remember, where there is one snake there may be more."

"Then I am going to quit right now!" cried Shep, and lost no time in leaving the neighborhood, followed by the others.

The boys concluded that they had had adventures enough for one day and went back to camp. Here two of the lads set to work to make a rabbit pot-pie, with dumplings. They had seen such things made at home and went at the task with care. When the pot-pie was served all declared it "the best ever." Perhaps the dumplings were a trifle heavy, but what of that? Living in the open air had sharpened their appet.i.tes wonderfully and n.o.body was disposed to quarrel over the meal.

The next day was rather cold and misty and they kept in or near the cabin. Snap had brought some extra sugar and also some chocolate along, and the morning was devoted to candy-making, some with nuts and some without. The candy was very good, and while they ate a fair share, the rest was put away, to be eaten a little at a time.

So far, since leaving their first camp, they had not seen or heard of Andrew Felps, but that afternoon an old hunter strolled into their locality and asked if they could furnish him with a meal and a shakedown until morning, offering three rabbits in payment.

"I think we can accommodate you," said Snap. "And you can keep your rabbits."

The face of the old hunter looked familiar, and while he was eating, it came out that his name was Jack Dalton and that he had been one of the two guides who had come up to Lake Cameron with the Felps party.

"I got sick of working for that crowd," said jack Dalton. "They wanted to make a regular n.i.g.g.e.r of me and I up and told Felps I wouldn't stand for it."

"Is the other guide with them?" asked Shep.

"Humph! Dad Begow ain't no reg'lar guide---he's only a camp follower---dish-washer, an' like that. He pertends to be a guide, but he ain't no good at shootin'. Yes, he's with 'em, but he only stayed because they raised his wages. They wanted to raise mine when they saw I was really goin', but I told 'em money wasn't everything."

"I don't wonder that you got sick of Andrew Felps," put in Giant.

"You know how he treated is."

"It was dirt mean, lad, an' I about told him so, too. But the Felpses always was a hard crowd to deal with. He thought he was gettin' one in on Mr. Dodge when he fired you out."

"I thought as much," said Snap. "He is very bitter against my father."

"It is because of the lumber business---he wanted the tract of lumber to cut that the Barnaby Company got hold of," went on Jack Dalton. "How are you a-makin' it?"

"Fine!" said Snap, and then he and his chums told of all the game that had been brought down---they having kept a record in a little book the leader of the gun club carried.

"That's first-cla.s.s, boys," said the guide. "Couldn't be better.

Now, all they got were two wild turkeys, some rabbits and one small deer. I led 'em to a fine herd o' deer, but they wanted to do the shootin' all alone. When it came time to let drive, Felps and one o' the other men got buck fever and shot wild, and most of the deer got away. That was one thing made me sick. They can't shoot fer sour apples."

"And they'll blame their ill luck on you, when they get home,"

said Whopper.

"More'n likely. But I don't care fer thet. Folks in these parts know what Jack Dalton kin do. Jest you ask Jed Sanborn about it."

"Yes, Sanborn has spoken about you," answered Snap. "He said you had brought down some of the biggest deer and bears in these parts."